


Around the Fireside

by Tortellini



Category: Flyboys (2006)
Genre: Bonding, Canon Compliant, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Developing Friendships, Fighter Pilots, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Gen, Humor, Male Bonding, Male Friendship, Pilots, Scary, Scary Stories, Wordcount: 100-500, World War I
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-04 03:40:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24986947
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tortellini/pseuds/Tortellini
Summary: A group of young soldiers decide to try to scare each other with scary stories.Oneshot/drabble





	Around the Fireside

“Know any good scary stories?” Rawlings asks, the dim light of the fire reflecting in his eyes, and his hair getting tousled by the faint wind. It’s cold, and dark, and perfect for some mischief, he decides.

The same fire makes Skinner’s dark skin glow. “Know a few,” he answers mildly. “Have you ever heard the one where the guy turns around and his face is as smooth as an eggshell?”

Rawlings snorts. “No offense, but too many times, buddy. That was one of the first ones I was told! Still scared the hell outta me, though. I’m…” he pauses. “I wanna hear one I never heard before, though.”

Skinner shrugs, not offended. Rawlings turns to the other man sitting on his right. “Whatta ‘bout you, Jensen? You know any scary stories?”

He jumps, looking shaky. “No,” he answers quietly. “And I don’t think Captain Cassidy would like us trying to scare each other with children’s stories like this, either…”

“Children’s stories?” Rawlings repeats incredulously as Skinner raises his eyebrows. Rawlings shrugs, still frowning. “Dunno what’s up with you, mate, that’s got you all jumpy like this,” Well, besides the fact you got grazed in the neck and are so much of a wreck, Cassidy won’t let you fly… Suddenly his face brightens into a grin again. “Anyway, we’ll get to ask him—here Cassidy comes…”

“Ask me what?”

“Hello,” Rawlings greets their squadron leader, who gives the three a wane smile. He pulls out a bottle of good wine that Lowry would appreciate and starts to unscrew it. He takes a large swig, and, silently, he passes it to Jensen, who takes it hungrily.

“…hello,” Cassidy finally, his pale blue eyes focusing on Rawlings. He leans back on his elbows, his black hair starting to fall back into his face. They notice the tell-tale signs of an unshaven, sooty chin and cheeks: he had been in his plane—in a dogfight—right before. “Why are you three—“ he glances sideways at Jensen, still looking into the neck of the wine bottle and smirks. “—er, two, Jensen still looks…off—why are you two looking mischievous?” He cocks a tired eyebrow. “What did you want to ask me then?”

“Just…if you knew any decent scary stories,” Skinner says in his gentle, innocent voice.

“…Nah.” Cassidy makes to stand up, and reaches for the bottle. Jensen frowns, but loosens his grip on it. 

“Aw, c’mon, sir!” Rawlings protests, grinning widely again. “Surely, you—“ he falters, knowing their leader might be thinking of his past comrades…and how horrific _that_ was.

“You know what?” Cassidy smirks and sits back down; he hands Jensen the wine bottle, but instead of drinking it, the man looks a little scared. “I will stay. I just remembered—I have a good story for you too.”

Rawlings and Skinner lean forward eagerly, both of them grinning. Jensen looks ill.

“…once there was a couple, who was very much in love. They were out one night in a…” he thinks for a moment, looking away, and then looks back, his pale eyes bright and cold. “…a carriage ride, y’ know, romantic, right?” Jensen, of all people, nods wordlessly. “So they’re there, riding, when suddenly the man gets a telegram, saying an escaped prisoner from a local asylum, has, well, escaped. He’s loose, uncontrollable, savage, killing anyone he feels like; a real danger to society, y’ know?” He’s the only one who chuckles. “Anyway, the way he’s recognizable is because…he has a hook for a hand.”

Jensen makes a little gasping noise and the other two hush him. Cassidy chuckles darkly and continues. “So anyway, he gets the telegram. His sweetheart tells him she’s scared, and that she wants him to take her home. He thinks it’s silly but he agrees, being a good beau.”

He pauses. Everyone—even Jensen—leans forward to hear what happens next.

Cassidy makes his voice go deeper and softer. “While they’re on their way, the woman thinks she hears something outside, on the door—something scratching, something tapping and scraping, something grabbing, something…bad. She screams, and tells her beau, “Something’s out there!” He shrugs it off, saying they’re perfectly safe. Still, he’s starting to get a little scared himself.”

“Like he should be,” Skinner mutters, looking uneasy and apprehensive. 

“Hmm,” Cassidy muses. “So they get home, and the man kisses the woman good night. Then he gets out and is about to open the door for her, when he notices something…” he takes a deep breath. “Can anyone guess what?”

“He’s a zombie!” 

“He has a hook for a hand! _He’s_ the insane murderer!”

“He has a bloody hook protruding from his chest…meaning he’s dead…”

“Thank you for those creative guesses, Rawlings, but I’m going to have to say no,” Cassidy says blandly while Skinner chuckles. “But the last guess was the closest.” Rawlings snorts. “Would you like to hear what the man found when he got outside, gentlemen…?”

Everyone nods feverishly.

“When he got outside…he reached for the carriage handle…and found a rusty, bloody hook hanging there.” Silence—everyone stares at him in awe and horror. Jensen is shaking slightly. Rawlings and Skinner look—not exactly terrified-enough-to-wet-themselves—but uneasy.

“Time for bed, gents,” Cassidy says brightly, and walks away, leaving the three pilots to their thoughts…and fears.

One word: Beagle…


End file.
